1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,120 In the name of the glorious Trinity, Father and Son and Holy 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:04,400 Spirit forever. Amen. 3 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:09,200 Glory be to the everlasting mercies which sent you to us, O 4 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:11,840 Christ, the Light of the world and the life of all. 5 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:15,960 Give us wisdom by your law and enlighten our impulses by your 6 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:18,960 knowledge. Sanctify our souls by your 7 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:22,800 truth, and grant that we may be obedient to your words and may 8 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:24,760 fulfill your commandments at every hour. 9 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:29,040 O you who enlightens the rational with the knowledge of 10 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:33,880 your greatness, do enlight, O my Lord, our thoughts that we may 11 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:37,240 meditate upon your holy and divine scriptures at all times, 12 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:41,380 O Lord of all, Father and Son and Holy Spirit forever. 13 00:00:42,220 --> 00:01:03,180 Amen. I want to take this time before 14 00:01:03,180 --> 00:01:06,780 we begin with this episode to extend my sincere gratitude to 15 00:01:06,780 --> 00:01:10,650 all those who reach out through many means, text messaging or 16 00:01:10,650 --> 00:01:15,090 personally, you know, seeing me and talking about the the 17 00:01:15,090 --> 00:01:18,530 episodes and and providing their feedback. 18 00:01:18,530 --> 00:01:19,970 You know Messenger and what have you. 19 00:01:20,810 --> 00:01:23,290 I thank you. But I ask one thing that you 20 00:01:23,570 --> 00:01:27,690 ascribe praise, glory, honor and Thanksgiving to our Heavenly 21 00:01:27,690 --> 00:01:29,650 Father. Because if it's not by the grace 22 00:01:29,650 --> 00:01:33,210 of God, we can do nothing. And and I am encouraged and I 23 00:01:33,210 --> 00:01:39,510 glorify God that somehow in God's perfect and amazing, 24 00:01:39,550 --> 00:01:45,230 incomprehensible, unfathomable, unspeakable ways that these 25 00:01:45,230 --> 00:01:49,310 episodes and the contents of these episodes are touching the 26 00:01:49,310 --> 00:01:53,670 hearts and giving comfort to those and giving consult to 27 00:01:53,670 --> 00:01:57,710 those who've been searching for a while and you know, and and 28 00:01:57,710 --> 00:02:00,420 wanting to continue to grow in the word of God. 29 00:02:00,660 --> 00:02:02,460 So let's always give thanks to God. 30 00:02:02,460 --> 00:02:05,980 And I ask that you continue to pray for this, for this episode, 31 00:02:05,980 --> 00:02:09,940 pray for my frailty, pray for the producers, my brother Steven 32 00:02:09,940 --> 00:02:12,580 my sister Adrina and all those involved. 33 00:02:12,580 --> 00:02:15,740 And let God be always glorified through what we do. 34 00:02:15,740 --> 00:02:19,060 Amen. There is an Assyrian saying 35 00:02:19,740 --> 00:02:24,340 during time of sorrow and grief when we, you know, extend our 36 00:02:24,340 --> 00:02:29,940 condolences around concerns or when the fire engine is driving 37 00:02:29,940 --> 00:02:31,860 past. Let me tell you, these episodes 38 00:02:31,860 --> 00:02:34,220 are recorded at modern day Paris. 39 00:02:34,220 --> 00:02:36,620 So you'll see this. It's a it's a corn, it's a 40 00:02:36,620 --> 00:02:39,340 crossroad and there's always the fire engines and the ambulances. 41 00:02:39,340 --> 00:02:41,060 So, you know, don't worry about that. 42 00:02:41,700 --> 00:02:46,620 It's a confirmation that these these programs and what we speak 43 00:02:46,620 --> 00:02:52,510 about are urgent. So there is a an Assyrian saying 44 00:02:52,510 --> 00:02:55,910 during time of grief when we're extending and expressing our 45 00:02:55,910 --> 00:03:00,550 condolences or when we want to you know a give comfort and 46 00:03:00,550 --> 00:03:02,270 consult to those who are grieving. 47 00:03:02,270 --> 00:03:06,550 We say Ala hamar haklokon minkulmar Amin kulpa shamta. 48 00:03:08,030 --> 00:03:12,870 May the Lord God keep you distant from sorrow and grief. 49 00:03:13,590 --> 00:03:17,750 And I always say that's not realistic, but we'll talk about 50 00:03:18,110 --> 00:03:21,170 the connotation behind it, the message behind it. 51 00:03:21,170 --> 00:03:22,370 We'll talk about that afterwards. 52 00:03:22,370 --> 00:03:27,250 So grief and sorrow is what we'd like to I'd like to talk to you 53 00:03:27,250 --> 00:03:28,970 about. And I'd like to present this 54 00:03:28,970 --> 00:03:32,810 episode on how to combat grief. Now, you may be going through 55 00:03:32,810 --> 00:03:37,970 this, you may be sorrowful, you may be in grief, in pain, in 56 00:03:37,970 --> 00:03:44,170 suffering. Now we're going to more 57 00:03:44,170 --> 00:03:48,250 concentrate on the 1. Circumstance 1. 58 00:03:48,330 --> 00:03:55,590 Occurrence one event that really brings about grief, and that is 59 00:03:55,790 --> 00:03:58,390 death. But this does not, does not 60 00:03:58,510 --> 00:04:04,030 merely pertain to grief and sorrow over the loss of a loved 61 00:04:04,030 --> 00:04:09,670 one. We know that grief is 62 00:04:09,830 --> 00:04:15,350 inevitable. Sorrow and pain and sufferings 63 00:04:15,830 --> 00:04:23,800 are inevitable when we read Psalm chapter 34, verse 18 as an 64 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:28,040 encouragement which states the Lord is near to the broken 65 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:31,920 hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 66 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:40,280 Now it's giving us comfort but it's telling us, warning us that 67 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:45,520 there will be broken heartedness and crushed spirits. 68 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:51,040 There Will be sorrow, some 147 verse three. 69 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:55,360 He God praise his name, heals the broken hearted, and binds up 70 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:58,480 their wounds. If there was to be no broken 71 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:04,640 heartedness, no sorrow, no pain, no wounds, well the scriptures 72 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:08,320 wouldn't comfort us, because why would you want to comfort 73 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:10,320 someone who does not require any comfort? 74 00:05:11,280 --> 00:05:17,950 So it's not a no no for Christians that grief and sorrow 75 00:05:17,950 --> 00:05:24,030 and mourning Bashamta Ke$ha are not a no no. 76 00:05:24,030 --> 00:05:27,110 For the Christians do not grieve. 77 00:05:27,310 --> 00:05:31,670 If you grieve you lack faith. No. 78 00:05:31,670 --> 00:05:39,190 Remember John Chapter 11, verse 35, the only perfect and holy 79 00:05:39,670 --> 00:05:43,550 and complete man on the face of the earth. 80 00:05:43,590 --> 00:05:47,430 Jesus Christ wept. He cried. 81 00:05:48,030 --> 00:05:52,030 Let me read to you what the blessed theophilect comments on 82 00:05:52,030 --> 00:05:54,790 that. The man who never feels 83 00:05:54,790 --> 00:05:59,910 compassion or weeps is brutish, dry. 84 00:06:00,910 --> 00:06:05,150 The man who cannot on the other hand control his anguish and 85 00:06:05,150 --> 00:06:09,830 tears in is effeminate. You know there's a there is a a 86 00:06:11,390 --> 00:06:16,440 sense of pride or taboo. You know when when men cry a lot 87 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:18,320 and and they continue crying, what do we say? 88 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:20,200 What is it? Naja Basakhana, you know you're 89 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:21,280 a man. All right. 90 00:06:21,280 --> 00:06:24,600 Stop the stop the weeping and stop the mourning because you're 91 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:29,200 a man, right? Sharing our flesh and blood. 92 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:35,240 According to Hebrews 214, Christ experienced our nature, human 93 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:39,680 affections, but taught us their proper limits. 94 00:06:39,840 --> 00:06:44,400 So yes, we can weep. We can cry, we can mourn, we can 95 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:51,680 feel sorrow and having the opportunity to grieve, or having 96 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:54,640 the permission, lack of a better term, to grieve. 97 00:06:54,960 --> 00:07:01,680 But we are to grieve, not hopelessly but rather hopefully, 98 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:05,680 as Saint Paul instructs in one Thessalonian chapter 4, verse 99 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:08,850 13. And by doing this we affirm that 100 00:07:08,850 --> 00:07:12,410 grief is a norm, is a part of life. 101 00:07:14,290 --> 00:07:18,730 King David also declared in in Psalm chapter 55, verse four to 102 00:07:18,730 --> 00:07:21,930 five. My heart is in anguish. 103 00:07:22,210 --> 00:07:25,210 This is the man that was after the Lord's heart. 104 00:07:25,730 --> 00:07:28,450 God called in my heart men butter Libby. 105 00:07:28,930 --> 00:07:32,810 My heart is in anguish within me, and the terrors of death 106 00:07:32,930 --> 00:07:36,710 have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, 107 00:07:36,910 --> 00:07:43,110 and horror has overwhelmed me. So grief, as we read the 108 00:07:43,110 --> 00:07:48,230 scriptures, being a obviously a product of the fall of man 109 00:07:48,230 --> 00:07:55,670 because of disobedience. When God created man, when God 110 00:07:55,670 --> 00:08:02,590 created Adam and Eve, he didn't create them for sorrow and 111 00:08:02,590 --> 00:08:08,270 mourning and pain and suffering, though he knew that man would 112 00:08:08,790 --> 00:08:11,990 drop the ball, as I say, and be disobedient. 113 00:08:13,070 --> 00:08:18,950 But it was because of that disobedience that pain, sorrow, 114 00:08:19,030 --> 00:08:23,550 mourning, and grief entered the world, the broken world, the 115 00:08:23,550 --> 00:08:27,750 fallen world. But this grief has a solution. 116 00:08:27,750 --> 00:08:30,240 There is a remedy, and it's called comfort. 117 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:38,919 However, at times when we feel that there is no comfort is 118 00:08:38,919 --> 00:08:45,480 because comfort, the eternal comfort, the true comfort, the 119 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:49,040 endless comfort awaits us. Beloved. 120 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:53,360 We are to be patient and to trust in the Lord and His 121 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:59,070 promises of comfort. Now, as I mentioned, one source 122 00:08:59,070 --> 00:09:05,230 of grief is caused by the enemy. Now you may think the accuser, 123 00:09:06,590 --> 00:09:10,270 Satan. Yes, he is the enemy of mankind, 124 00:09:10,550 --> 00:09:12,350 and in particular the children of God. 125 00:09:12,710 --> 00:09:16,590 But there is another enemy, and that is called death. 126 00:09:16,910 --> 00:09:20,230 That's why we're concentrating more on the grief and mourning 127 00:09:20,230 --> 00:09:22,790 and sorrow from the loss of a beloved one. 128 00:09:24,170 --> 00:09:26,850 But death, you see, there's there's already a there's a 129 00:09:26,850 --> 00:09:29,930 comfort there already. But death has a time limit. 130 00:09:31,090 --> 00:09:33,650 And that's why each time we want to comfort someone who's 131 00:09:33,650 --> 00:09:37,290 mourning over the loss of a blood one, we say there is 132 00:09:37,290 --> 00:09:39,130 resurrection. We're going to talk about that. 133 00:09:39,610 --> 00:09:46,490 Death has a time limit. This enemy will be abolished, 134 00:09:46,490 --> 00:09:51,850 beloved, as Saint Paul instructs in one Corinthians 15/25/26. 135 00:09:52,270 --> 00:09:54,910 For he is to reign, that is Jesus Christ. 136 00:09:54,910 --> 00:09:59,110 Praise me to his name, until he should put all his enemies under 137 00:09:59,110 --> 00:10:03,630 his feet. And the last enemy, the last 138 00:10:03,630 --> 00:10:06,790 enemy that is death, will be abolished. 139 00:10:07,630 --> 00:10:11,790 But until then sorrow and grief are normal. 140 00:10:11,790 --> 00:10:15,910 Beloved, you see in the book of Acts, the Acts of the Apostles, 141 00:10:17,350 --> 00:10:22,630 the the procedure and the and the book of the Church itself, 142 00:10:23,150 --> 00:10:26,630 Saint Stephen, the first martyr, the Deak and the Shamasha. 143 00:10:28,550 --> 00:10:34,030 After being stoned, we read that believing men gathered up and 144 00:10:34,030 --> 00:10:39,070 buried Stefan, and they lamented over him greatly. 145 00:10:39,750 --> 00:10:44,710 They lamented Yana, Billy, Iowa. They were mourning over him 146 00:10:44,790 --> 00:10:47,740 greatly. We see this grief and mourning 147 00:10:47,740 --> 00:10:54,020 and sorrow in the scriptures. So once again, we cannot deny 148 00:10:54,500 --> 00:10:59,740 the existence, the reality of grief, pain, sorrow and 149 00:10:59,740 --> 00:11:04,460 suffering. However, we cannot let it delay 150 00:11:04,860 --> 00:11:10,620 in our daily life. So grief being inevitable and 151 00:11:10,620 --> 00:11:15,320 the church accepting, acknowledging that during the 152 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:18,920 time of death in particular there is a lot of grief. 153 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:24,360 The church has in place some traditions with a capital T to 154 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:29,320 help overcome grief, to help ease the sorrow and the 155 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:32,840 suffering. For example, those who have had 156 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:35,880 a death in the family have probably gone through the 157 00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:40,360 viewing process. The funeral parlor here at 158 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:45,770 Turlock Memorial has sets apart a day, a few hours for the 159 00:11:45,770 --> 00:11:49,130 family to come and view the body of the deceased. 160 00:11:49,130 --> 00:11:50,450 Now some will say, you know what? 161 00:11:50,730 --> 00:11:51,850 Oh, it's done. It's finished. 162 00:11:51,850 --> 00:11:53,970 It's gone. And you shouldn't worry about 163 00:11:53,970 --> 00:11:55,770 it. No, it's not about the dead 164 00:11:55,770 --> 00:11:56,890 person. It's about those who are 165 00:11:56,890 --> 00:11:59,250 surviving who are truly suffering. 166 00:11:59,570 --> 00:12:03,970 And you know, we encourage, you know, kiss Grandma goodbye, kiss 167 00:12:03,970 --> 00:12:07,050 Mommy goodbye or kiss the dead, kiss Daddy goodbye. 168 00:12:07,050 --> 00:12:09,770 Why? Because it's not because that 169 00:12:09,850 --> 00:12:15,410 dead person feels that kick is and will be revived with that 170 00:12:15,410 --> 00:12:19,010 case, but it emphasizes the departure. 171 00:12:19,250 --> 00:12:22,450 There's a there's a the first step of a closure. 172 00:12:22,650 --> 00:12:26,730 There's a first step of the ease of the grief that you know when 173 00:12:26,730 --> 00:12:29,930 you kiss someone goodbye Bye. And yes, we say it's not 174 00:12:29,930 --> 00:12:33,170 goodbye, it's see you later. Well, let's say goodbye or see 175 00:12:33,170 --> 00:12:35,890 you later or what up, dude, whatever, right. 176 00:12:36,090 --> 00:12:42,300 But we have in, in, in place traditions that begin to help to 177 00:12:42,460 --> 00:12:46,340 ease the pain and the suffering. We have the burial. 178 00:12:47,100 --> 00:12:49,820 We have the third day service. And again some will argue, 179 00:12:49,820 --> 00:12:51,300 that's it. The person's dead, Gone, 180 00:12:51,300 --> 00:12:52,980 finished. Let me ask you a question. 181 00:12:54,060 --> 00:12:56,900 When a family pet dies, what do we do? 182 00:12:56,980 --> 00:13:01,260 We weep, we mourn, we cry. And then we even sometimes 183 00:13:01,260 --> 00:13:03,220 approached the church. And by the way, don't do this. 184 00:13:03,220 --> 00:13:05,940 Don't approach me. Is there a prey you can say for 185 00:13:05,940 --> 00:13:07,940 my dead dog? No, there's no prey, as we say 186 00:13:07,940 --> 00:13:10,840 over animals. You know, in the Assyrian 187 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:13,880 tradition, we don't say mitlin, we don't say animals die. 188 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:16,720 We say sputlin. They're finished. 189 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:20,400 They're complete, done, finished. 190 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:24,680 No animal heaven. Now I'm going to rain on some 191 00:13:24,680 --> 00:13:27,440 parades and I'm going to probably break some hearts, but 192 00:13:27,560 --> 00:13:31,320 reality must be spoken. The truth must be spoken. 193 00:13:32,830 --> 00:13:35,070 And I have. I tell you, I have an animal 194 00:13:35,070 --> 00:13:36,910 pet. Everyone knows Thor and I call 195 00:13:36,910 --> 00:13:40,070 him Torah because he's the size of a Torah. 196 00:13:40,390 --> 00:13:42,430 And you know, sometimes we say, you know what happens when this 197 00:13:42,430 --> 00:13:45,270 one finishes and it's gone And and my wife's arguing, We're all 198 00:13:45,270 --> 00:13:46,510 arguing. No, no, we're not going to get 199 00:13:46,510 --> 00:13:49,350 another one. No one, no pet, no dog will 200 00:13:49,350 --> 00:13:53,150 replace Torah Thor, right? Because he's special. 201 00:13:53,310 --> 00:13:57,390 He's God's creation. He was made for my joy and for 202 00:13:57,390 --> 00:14:00,950 me to take care of and not to be cruel, as the Bible says. 203 00:14:01,350 --> 00:14:05,910 So if I have so much love and and compassion for an animal 204 00:14:06,070 --> 00:14:10,630 that was not created in the likeness and the image of God, 205 00:14:10,630 --> 00:14:13,670 how much more for my grandmother, for my father, for 206 00:14:13,670 --> 00:14:18,310 my loved one who is the image and likeness of God and is the 207 00:14:18,310 --> 00:14:21,110 child of God. We have a second day service 208 00:14:21,110 --> 00:14:26,590 which we don't practice, we don't serve, We have the burial 209 00:14:26,590 --> 00:14:29,190 service. You know, we go to the funeral, 210 00:14:29,190 --> 00:14:33,530 and for those who don't want to see the backfill, I don't want 211 00:14:33,530 --> 00:14:38,730 to see dirt being poured over my these are all in place for you 212 00:14:38,730 --> 00:14:44,650 to start to the the process of of the closure and the comfort 213 00:14:44,650 --> 00:14:48,730 from the grief. I encourage you to stand and 214 00:14:48,730 --> 00:14:49,890 watch. You know why? 215 00:14:50,410 --> 00:14:54,090 Because if you think you have it all, you think you're 216 00:14:54,170 --> 00:14:57,410 untouchable and nothing can affect you. 217 00:14:57,570 --> 00:15:02,560 When you look at your beloved one being buried, the casket 218 00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:06,240 being lowered, you're in pain and you're in grief and the 219 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:10,120 backfill happens that at that moment you should be saying, Oh 220 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:15,600 my God, is this my destiny? Is you know, all this trial and 221 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:19,720 all this suffering and all this, you know, working hard and the 222 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:26,240 image and the botoxes and the and and what I do is this where 223 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:28,940 I end up. And I spent 10s of them, 224 00:15:28,940 --> 00:15:31,460 thousands of dollars. Is this where I end up? 225 00:15:31,780 --> 00:15:35,980 It's good to stand there but mainly for that closure to begin 226 00:15:37,100 --> 00:15:39,900 the comfort from the suffering and the grief. 227 00:15:40,660 --> 00:15:43,580 One of the one of the prayers on the second day service. 228 00:15:44,500 --> 00:15:48,540 Do not sorrow. O children of Adam Christ the 229 00:15:48,540 --> 00:15:53,100 King has lifted your head. Do not sorrow owe you chosen 230 00:15:53,100 --> 00:15:56,020 ones on the day of your departure, for death is asleep, 231 00:15:56,300 --> 00:15:59,150 but it buy it. I'm sorry. 232 00:15:59,150 --> 00:16:01,070 The good and the evil are rested. 233 00:16:01,390 --> 00:16:03,430 It is a cup mixed with righteousness. 234 00:16:03,430 --> 00:16:07,190 For the children of Adam. That means the mortal for which 235 00:16:07,270 --> 00:16:10,950 all children drink equally. It is a bridge through which all 236 00:16:10,950 --> 00:16:15,510 generations will pass from this world to the other, which has no 237 00:16:15,510 --> 00:16:18,830 dangers in the Kingdom of heaven, no grief, no suffering. 238 00:16:19,470 --> 00:16:25,920 Look and see, for every person will taste the cup of death and 239 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:29,560 no one will escape from its dominion and authority. 240 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:33,240 You know, face reality. That's why the Church Fathers 241 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:36,840 have written these prayers and the liturgies to begin the 242 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:39,920 process of comfort, not false hope. 243 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:45,920 Oh, your daddy is with God. He's with Christ and the Kingdom 244 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:47,600 of heaven. How do we know? 245 00:16:49,060 --> 00:16:50,540 You know, let me tell you something. 246 00:16:50,540 --> 00:16:56,900 When you tell a a person that the departed is now with God and 247 00:16:56,900 --> 00:17:00,380 in the Kingdom of heaven. By the way, when we die, no one 248 00:17:00,380 --> 00:17:02,660 enters the Kingdom of heaven under the until the Lord 249 00:17:02,660 --> 00:17:05,099 returns. That's another episode. 250 00:17:05,579 --> 00:17:07,540 Where do we go when we die? We'll talk about that. 251 00:17:08,460 --> 00:17:12,660 So that person knows the the history of the person that is 252 00:17:12,660 --> 00:17:14,380 passed. And you tell that person, well, 253 00:17:14,380 --> 00:17:18,099 your your, your, your beloved is in the Kingdom of heaven. 254 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:22,079 Don't you think that the person you're trying to comfort falsely 255 00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:25,440 will then see straight through you and say, well, you don't 256 00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:27,839 know who this person was? So don't come in and give me 257 00:17:27,839 --> 00:17:31,200 false hope. No, just come and tell me that 258 00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:36,040 the Lord is suffering with you. That's why he suffered on the 259 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:40,120 cross, right. And and and the liturgy is 260 00:17:40,120 --> 00:17:44,080 realistic, you know, giving hope, not false hope, but at the 261 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:48,160 same time beginning that process of comfort. 262 00:17:49,110 --> 00:17:51,390 But then you may think, well, that's cruel. 263 00:17:51,390 --> 00:17:52,950 Someone who's down, You're kicking them? 264 00:17:52,950 --> 00:17:55,470 No, no. But then for the Feast of 265 00:17:55,470 --> 00:17:58,710 Resurrection, we sing, And I'm going to sing it to you because 266 00:17:58,710 --> 00:18:01,150 I love this hymn. It's the anthem of the chancel. 267 00:18:01,150 --> 00:18:03,870 Stephen, you probably know this. You've been to the English Laza 268 00:18:03,870 --> 00:18:05,830 for the feast of the Resurrection. 269 00:18:07,210 --> 00:18:10,410 The Lord reigns. Let the earth rejoice, exalt and 270 00:18:10,410 --> 00:18:14,490 shout, O mortals. The minion of death destroyed. 271 00:18:14,730 --> 00:18:19,170 Christ by His suffering has conquered death and promised 272 00:18:19,170 --> 00:18:24,770 life by His resurrection. The heavens and the earth. 3 273 00:18:24,770 --> 00:18:30,970 Joys, companies of angels called glory to him who gives life 274 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:36,920 through his resurrection to the race of men which was perishing. 275 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:43,880 There's comfort, there's hope that yes, death is inevitable 276 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:47,120 through death, grief, pain, suffering. 277 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:52,680 But Christ has overcome and at times beloved during grief. 278 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:55,440 It's understandable and it's common. 279 00:18:55,440 --> 00:19:00,260 Maybe silly, but common that we feel bitter at God, right? 280 00:19:00,300 --> 00:19:05,460 Why did God do this? Why did God take away my 281 00:19:05,460 --> 00:19:07,940 grandmother, who was 95, from me? 282 00:19:07,940 --> 00:19:09,820 Because your grandmother was suffering. 283 00:19:10,140 --> 00:19:13,340 Your grandmother wanted to go to the Lord. 284 00:19:13,380 --> 00:19:16,220 You're being selfish there, right? 285 00:19:16,220 --> 00:19:18,540 So it's all right. It's it's it's it's common. 286 00:19:19,350 --> 00:19:23,070 Silly, but common to be bitter at God, even those who died. 287 00:19:23,070 --> 00:19:24,750 Why did he leave me? Why did you? 288 00:19:24,910 --> 00:19:27,150 Why did you leave me? What am I going to do? 289 00:19:27,150 --> 00:19:30,590 Right? But that all depends on the 290 00:19:30,590 --> 00:19:33,710 spiritual condition, the spiritual place, the spiritual 291 00:19:33,710 --> 00:19:37,070 position of the person who is going through grief. 292 00:19:37,270 --> 00:19:40,110 So how do we combat combat all of this? 293 00:19:40,550 --> 00:19:46,430 First and foremost, John 15-5, I'm the vine. 294 00:19:46,470 --> 00:19:50,050 You are the branches. You can do nothing without me. 295 00:19:50,610 --> 00:19:56,650 Seek your strength from God. God will not give you false 296 00:19:56,730 --> 00:20:01,050 hope. God will not be fake to you. 297 00:20:01,810 --> 00:20:04,330 God is genuine. God is truth. 298 00:20:04,770 --> 00:20:10,370 Jesus Christ prays between His name is truth, is genuine, is 299 00:20:10,370 --> 00:20:14,570 right. Take courage from God. 300 00:20:15,830 --> 00:20:21,990 Isaiah chapter 5053, verse four He himself bore our sickness. 301 00:20:22,110 --> 00:20:26,230 Jesus bore our sickness and our pains that He carried. 302 00:20:26,310 --> 00:20:30,750 You know what side note Isaiah 53 when we read it we should 303 00:20:31,830 --> 00:20:35,070 replace the He with Jesus Christ because it's all about Jesus. 304 00:20:35,070 --> 00:20:41,550 Praise me to his name and Jesus, taking all our sicknesses and 305 00:20:41,550 --> 00:20:47,260 suffering, was victorious, and we too can be victorious over 306 00:20:47,260 --> 00:20:50,900 our grief through Christ, through union with Christ. 307 00:20:52,380 --> 00:20:55,980 So before you expect people to come and console and give you 308 00:20:55,980 --> 00:21:00,100 comfort, seek the Lord. We love it because those people 309 00:21:00,100 --> 00:21:04,660 will be there for you a few days or a week before the burial, 310 00:21:04,780 --> 00:21:08,340 before the funeral, and then come back to you on the third 311 00:21:08,340 --> 00:21:11,740 day and maybe the 40th day, but a few months down the track. 312 00:21:11,940 --> 00:21:14,100 Those people have their lives to go back to. 313 00:21:15,180 --> 00:21:19,380 But God is always there. So #1 seek your strength. 314 00:21:19,380 --> 00:21:21,740 Seek your courage from Jesus Christ. 315 00:21:22,740 --> 00:21:26,220 Stand firm on the fact that God loves you. 316 00:21:26,860 --> 00:21:33,140 God does not allow grief. God does not allow for you to go 317 00:21:33,140 --> 00:21:36,140 through grief and sorrow and and pain and suffering because he 318 00:21:36,140 --> 00:21:38,500 doesn't love you. No, He loves you. 319 00:21:40,030 --> 00:21:43,030 Now the Satan, the enemy will say, well, if he loves me, why 320 00:21:43,030 --> 00:21:45,110 does he do this? Why did he allow me to go 321 00:21:45,110 --> 00:21:47,950 through this pain? Why did he have to take away my 322 00:21:48,390 --> 00:21:51,630 Yeah, that's the enemy, putting those thoughts and those 323 00:21:51,630 --> 00:21:53,910 questions and those doubts in your mind. 324 00:21:54,470 --> 00:22:00,030 But when you continue to trust, you continue to take heart from 325 00:22:00,030 --> 00:22:05,470 God's love, then God's grace will begin to comfort you. 326 00:22:07,030 --> 00:22:11,920 Pray for comfort. You know, we see posts going up 327 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:15,640 every day with a black ribbon on a picture. 328 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:19,600 It is with a deep sorrowful heart that we announced the 329 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:25,000 departure and the death. Or how you know, son, father, 330 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,840 relative has gone to the Lord. And then we continue. 331 00:22:27,840 --> 00:22:31,760 We start posting oh, deep condolences, praying for you. 332 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:36,250 Are you actually praying for that person when you post, 333 00:22:36,530 --> 00:22:40,250 praying for you and your family, you are all in my prayers. 334 00:22:40,570 --> 00:22:45,170 Are you actually on your knees and asking God to comfort that 335 00:22:45,170 --> 00:22:48,690 broken and that hurting heart, that pierced heart? 336 00:22:50,250 --> 00:22:57,130 But you know, instead of relying on people's posts and let us get 337 00:22:57,130 --> 00:23:01,410 on our knees and ask God to comfort me, Lord Thy will be 338 00:23:01,410 --> 00:23:02,690 done. Praise and glory. 339 00:23:02,690 --> 00:23:05,440 Beat your name. Help me, Lord. 340 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:08,360 I'm suffering. Help me. 341 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:11,400 I am shaking. My faith is shaking. 342 00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:15,040 You comfort me, Lord Daniel prayed. 343 00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:20,330 Or Shidrack Mishak and Abbot Nego, who ended up in the fiery 344 00:23:20,330 --> 00:23:22,810 furnace. Look at what they prayed not. 345 00:23:23,050 --> 00:23:27,290 Oh Lord, we've been so good. We've been righteous and we've 346 00:23:27,290 --> 00:23:30,170 we've always fulfilled your will and we've done this and that. 347 00:23:30,530 --> 00:23:33,810 They actually blamed themselves and said, Lord, we deserve this 348 00:23:33,810 --> 00:23:38,210 because we are sinners. It's not you, Lord, You're not a 349 00:23:38,210 --> 00:23:41,370 cruel God because we are sinners. 350 00:23:41,530 --> 00:23:45,010 Because sin entered the world and obedience. 351 00:23:45,010 --> 00:23:48,650 And how disobedient is the world today to Jesus Christ? 352 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:51,840 Sin has entered the world disobedience, and today we are 353 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:54,920 disobedient to you, Lord. That is the cause of my grief. 354 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:58,280 But help me, give me, and grant me comfort. 355 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:04,320 And when you do, pray for the comfort of others. 2nd 356 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:08,160 Corinthians 1 Three to four. Blessed be the God and Father of 357 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:12,240 our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and God of 358 00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:18,310 all comfort, who comforts us all in our affliction, so that we 359 00:24:18,310 --> 00:24:22,870 will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with 360 00:24:22,870 --> 00:24:29,870 the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 361 00:24:29,870 --> 00:24:34,670 Freely you gave freely, freely you received freely you should 362 00:24:34,670 --> 00:24:42,470 give and be thankful, beloved. Yes, You know, one of my posts 363 00:24:42,470 --> 00:24:45,070 was and and I had a lot of people asking a lot of 364 00:24:45,070 --> 00:24:46,110 questions. What's wrong with Robbie? 365 00:24:46,110 --> 00:24:49,520 What's wrong? I posted a long time ago, 366 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:51,600 Steven. I said, Lord, thank you for 367 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:53,240 nothing. No thanks for nothing. 368 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:56,160 And people thought I'm mad. Something happened. 369 00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:57,640 What happened? I said why? 370 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:00,640 What's this Thanks for yeah. I don't need to thank God for 371 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:02,600 anything. I don't need to thank God for 372 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:03,960 something. I just thank him. 373 00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:06,320 Thank you, Lord. What for? 374 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:07,520 Nothing. You're God. 375 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:09,800 Thank you, Lord. You are my creator. 376 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:12,720 Just thank you, Lord. Be grateful. 377 00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:16,360 Be thankful to God for the comfort that He will give you. 378 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:19,560 Be thankful for all the relatives that come and give us 379 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:23,520 comfort during our times of pain and suffering and and hardship. 380 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:29,160 1 Thessalonia is 518 in everything, not when you 381 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:34,000 graduate with honors and you buy your 5th house and then you get 382 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:39,040 your 7th promotion and you find the best girl to marry. 383 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:42,920 When life's going great, your stocks are doing great. 384 00:25:43,360 --> 00:25:48,060 Thank you, Lord, no in everything. 385 00:25:48,780 --> 00:25:52,980 In the worst of the worst of times give thanks for this is 386 00:25:52,980 --> 00:25:57,460 the will of God for you. In Christ Jesus, Beloved, there 387 00:25:57,460 --> 00:26:04,260 is only one place, one person, one perfect comfort. 388 00:26:04,900 --> 00:26:08,020 That person is Jesus Christ Glory between his name. 389 00:26:08,460 --> 00:26:12,980 That place is the Holy Scriptures, is the prayer act, 390 00:26:13,260 --> 00:26:18,840 is the Church, and that perfect comfort comes from an omnipotent 391 00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:23,040 God who can do everything. A God who is willing to give 392 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:26,720 good to all those who love him and those who don't love him. 393 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:33,160 A God whose love is genuine and is everlasting praise and glory 394 00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:35,440 between His name, now and at all times and forever. 395 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:56,930 Amen. We hope you enjoyed this week's 396 00:26:56,930 --> 00:26:59,290 message. Please don't forget to rate and 397 00:26:59,290 --> 00:27:02,010 review this podcast and share with your friends and family. 398 00:27:02,290 --> 00:27:04,730 For any future topics, suggestions or to give us 399 00:27:04,730 --> 00:27:09,010 detailed feedback, please visit our link in the show Notes link 400 00:27:09,010 --> 00:27:12,590 TR. EE forward slash double edged 401 00:27:12,590 --> 00:27:15,230 sword until next time. God bless you all.